I Can't Believe What You Say
Manfred Mann Lyrics

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(La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la)
I can't believe what you say, 'cause I can see what you do
(La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la)
I can't believe what you say, 'cause I can see what you do

When she gets me in the dark, then she says I'm her man
But when we walk down the street she never holds my hand
She says one day that she will marry me
But she tells her friends that that will never be

(La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la)
I can't believe what you say, 'cause I can see what you do
(La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la)
I can't believe what you say, 'cause I can see what you do

When we get to a dance I have to go in alone
But she always kisses me before I get home
Then she wants to hug and kiss on me
Everybody's thinking but no one can see

How can I ever love you, girl
When I don't even know who you are?
You know you're one girl when you're in a bubbly place
But another when you're in my car

(La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la)
I can't believe what you say, 'cause I can see what you do
(La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la)
I can't believe what you say, 'cause I can see what you do

I saw her kissin' some man that she said was her friend
And before the night was over, she was doing it again
She said one day that she will be my wife
But she wants me to wait for the rest of my life

(La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la)
I can't believe what you say, 'cause I can see what you do
(La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la)
I can't believe what you say, 'cause I can see what you do

(La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la)
I can't believe what you say, 'cause I can see what you do
(La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la) whoa, whoa

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Manfred Mann's song "I Can't Believe What You Say" suggest a sense of betrayal and loss of trust between two people in a relationship. The singer can't believe what his partner says because he can see what she does. He describes how she claims he's her man when they're alone but doesn't hold his hand in public, and she tells her friends she'll never marry him while leading him on to believe otherwise. The singer is confused and frustrated by the mixed signals he's receiving from his partner, leading him to question how he can ever love her when he doesn't even know who she really is.

The lyrics suggest that the relationship is one-sided, with the singer constantly being led on by his partner's contradictory behaviour. The imagery of the singer going alone into a dance while she kisses him before he gets home suggests that she's keeping up appearances but doesn't want to be seen with him publicly. The singer's discovery of her kissing another man that she claimed was her friend reinforces the idea of her being dishonest and leading him astray.

Overall, the song is a commentary on the importance of honesty and trust in relationships. The singer can't believe what his partner says because her actions don't match up with her words, leading to a sense of confusion and mistrust between them.

Line by Line Meaning

I can't believe what you say, 'cause I can see what you do
I can't trust your words because your actions don't match them.

When she gets me in the dark, then she says I'm her man
She shows affection towards me in private but not in public.

But when we walk down the street she never holds my hand
She is not willing to show any form of commitment towards me.

She says one day that she will marry me
She promises me a future together but doesn't act on it.

But she tells her friends that that will never be
She tells her friends the opposite of what she tells me.

When we get to a dance I have to go in alone
She doesn't want to be seen with me in front of others.

But she always kisses me before I get home
She only shows affection towards me in private.

Then she wants to hug and kiss on me
She only wants physical affection without any commitment.

Everybody's thinking but no one can see
Others around notice her behavior but don't address it or question it.

How can I ever love you, girl
I cannot love someone I don't trust or whose actions don't align with their words.

When I don't even know who you are?
I cannot trust you when you pretend to be someone you're not.

You know you're one girl when you're in a bubbly place
You behave differently based on the social environment you're in.

But another when you're in my car
You are not consistent in your actions and affection towards me.

I saw her kissin' some man that she said was her friend
She is physically intimate with other men in front of me.

And before the night was over, she was doing it again
She is not faithful or committed to me.

She said one day that she will be my wife
She makes empty promises of a future together.

But she wants me to wait for the rest of my life
She expects me to wait for something that may never happen.

I can't believe what you say, 'cause I can see what you do
Overall, I cannot trust her since her actions are not consistent with her words.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: IKE TURNER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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